


The Bonds Between Past and Present

by Thunder_of_Dragons



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Coming Out, Coming of Age, Demisexual Sirius Black, Gay Remus Lupin, Gen, Harry Potter is a Little Shit, Harry Potter is the Heir to the House of Black, Harry Potter was Raised by Other(s), Harry is a Little Shit, Hogwarts First Year, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pining Remus Lupin, Pining Sirius Black, Pre-Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Pre-Slash, Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), Pureblood Politics (Harry Potter), Pureblood Society (Harry Potter), Sirius Black Raises Harry Potter, heir rings, matchmaker harry potter, past Remus Lupin/Severus Snape - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 09:53:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20274001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thunder_of_Dragons/pseuds/Thunder_of_Dragons
Summary: It's September 1st, and Harry is ready for his first year at Hogwarts. He's concerned about leaving his godfather, Sirius, and his home at 12 Grimmauld Place, but Sirius has a gift for him before he leaves for the Hogwarts Express.Sirius took a small box out of his pocket. “Remus, would you like to do the honours?”“What, me?” Remus shook his head. “No, it should be you. You’re his godfather.”“Agh, we both know that’s a load of codswallop. It should have been you, and we both know it. If it weren’t for the Ministry and its creature regulations… Besides, James talked to both of us about it.” Sirius passed the box to Remus. “It should be you.”Remus picked up the box and gazed into Sirius’s eyes. “Thank you, Sirius. You don’t know how much this means to me.”Remus took a deep breath and turned to the boy who might as well have been his own son. “Harry, when you were born, your father sat down with both of us, and we had a long conversation about his hopes for your future. Above all, he wanted you to be happy, and he wanted you to grow up in a world that was free of war.”





	The Bonds Between Past and Present

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, I meant to just revise an old fic I'd posted on FFN. It soon took on a life of its own. It now looks entirely different, with an entirely different plot and a couple of additional characters, but I'm quite happy with it.
> 
> I'd like to give a HUGE thanks to my beta reader, dualwieldteacup! She did an AMAZING job helping me to get this fic to where it is now.

# The Bonds Between Past and Present

Harry rolled over, burrowing deeper under the covers of his bed in 12 Grimmauld Place. He could barely notice a gentle rocking movement. That was strange: he didn’t think he and Sirius were on another cruise, though his uncle did like going on holiday to the Caribbean. Sometimes Uncle Moony even joined them.

Harry peeked open his eyes to look into the gray eyes of his godfather, who was softly speaking his name. Sirius’s shining ebony hair was pulled low into a ponytail, and a couple of shorter shoulder-length curls framed his face. “Come on, Harry. It’s time to get up. You know what today is, right?” 

Harry slowly blinked a couple of times, and then he sat straight up and grinned at his godfather. “Is it really September 1st already, Padfoot? Do I really get to go to Hogwarts and learn all about magic like you and Moony and my parents did?!” 

Sirius grinned and nodded. “Of course! You’ll learn charms and spells. You’ll learn how to defend yourself and how to make potions. You’ll meet plenty of other young witches and wizards, and I dare say you’ll make yourself some good friends, too.” Sirius rumpled Harry’s hair, stood up, and took a long look around the room. “You packed everything last night?” Harry nodded. “You’ve got all of your school supplies? Your wand? All of your clothes? Your robes are easy to get to?”

Harry rolled his eyes and pounced on Sirius’s back. “Of course! I packed ages ago! Everything is in my trunk, and we already sent Hedwig to Hogwarts, and now all I’m waiting for is for you to take me to the station!”

Sirius flipped Harry over his back and looked him over as he righted himself on the floor. “I see. Well, if you’re certain you want to show up in your pajamas to make your first impression, I suppose we can Apparate there right now.” Harry scrambled to his feet and ran to his closet. “Though, I’m sure Kreacher would be very disappointed that breakfast was going to be wasted, and he did try so hard to make it special this morning. Oh well! If you’re ready now, I guess we’ll go now!”

“No!” Harry shouted, shoving his head and his entire torso into the closet. “I’m not ready to go. I need to find something to wear, and I want to eat breakfast. It’s my last breakfast with you and Uncle Moony, and I can’t miss it.” Harry turned around and slammed the closet door shut. “I have nothing to wear!”

Sirius chuckled. “Did you pack all of your clothes in your trunk?”

“Yes,” Harry pouted. “Now I have to unpack it all, and then I have to decide what I’m going to wear, and then I have to repack it all. Again.” Harry sighed exasperatedly and collapsed on his bed.

Sirius rolled his eyes. “Right. I’ll be downstairs with Moony while you figure out,” Sirius waved his hand at Harry and his trunk at the end of the bed, “...that. Come down when you’re ready for breakfast. I have a gift for you before you leave.”

“A gift?” Harry shot off of his bed. “What is it?”

Sirius shook his head as he reached for the handle of the bedroom door. “You’ll have to come to breakfast to find out, squirt.”

Sirius shut the door, and now Harry was alone in his room. He tapped his wand to the lock on the front of the trunk, releasing the locking mechanism through his wand signature, and the trunk opened. Harry chose to put on a deep green and white pinstripe button-down shirt, an earthy brown waistcoat, a pair of black trousers, and a pair of dragon hide ankle boots. He slid on an emerald green topcoat to pull everything together and then looked at himself in the mirror to make sure everything was perfect. After all, this was going to be his first day at Hogwarts, and Harry would need to look his best if he wanted to be more than just his fame.

Harry closed his trunk, tapped his wand to the lock, and took one last look around the room. He would see it again in December. Nodding to himself, Harry left his room and headed downstairs.

* * *

Remus and Sirius were both sitting at the dining room table, sipping tea and sharing the day’s edition of the _Daily Prophet_. The table was still empty, and Harry was feeling famished.

“Hullo, Uncle Moony!” shouted Harry as he took a seat. He began pouring himself a cuppa as he called out, “Kreacher, can we please have breakfast?”

Kreacher arrived in the dining room with a _Pop!_ “Of course, young Master Harry.” Kreacher snapped, and the dining room table was filled with platters of fried eggs, sausages, bacon, toast, and tomatoes. Smaller dishes appeared with various flavours of marmalade. “Is there anything else Kreacher can be doing before the young master heads off to Hogwarts?”

Harry grinned and shook his head. “No, Kreacher. This all looks brilliant. Thanks!”

Kreacher bowed low to Sirius and then left with another _Pop!_

Remus smiled at Harry, who was eagerly filling his plate. “Are you excited for your first year at Hogwarts, Harry?”

Harry quickly swallowed a sausage whole. “Yes! I finally get to learn magic and explore the castle and see where my parents learned magic and where you learned magic and where Uncle Sirius learned magic. It’ll be the best year ever!”

Remus chuckled as he folded his paper and began putting food on his and Sirius’s plates. “Mind you, you’ll have to be careful to stay out of trouble. I don’t think Padfoot would take too kindly to receiving any Howlers from Professor McGonagall.”

Sirius grinned and asked, “Who are you kidding, Moony? He’ll be a chip off the old block, just like me and his dad.” Remus sighed and took a bite of egg. “Harry, are you ready for your gift?”

Harry nodded. “I’m always ready for a present.”

Sirius took a small box out of his pocket. “Remus, would you like to do the honours?”

“What, me?” Remus shook his head. “No, it should be you. You’re his godfather.”

“Agh, we both know that’s a load of codswallop. It should have been you, and we both know it. If it weren’t for the Ministry and its creature regulations… Besides, James talked to both of us about it.” Sirius passed the box to Remus. “It should be you.”

Remus picked up the box and gazed into Sirius’s eyes. “Thank you, Sirius. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

Remus took a deep breath and turned to the boy who might as well have been his own son. “Harry, when you were born, your father sat down with both of us, and we had a long conversation about his hopes for your future. Above all, he wanted you to be happy, and he wanted you to grow up in a world that was free of war.” 

Remus opened the box. “However, he also knew that you would be burdened with much responsibility. You are the last remaining Potter, and that name carried a lot of weight in our world, even before you defeated Voldemort. You’ll be responsible for the Potter seats in the Wizengamot, responsible for managing the Potter finances and properties, and responsible for carrying on the good name of the Potter family in everything you do. Until you turn seventeen, Sirius is responsible for carrying out these duties for you in addition to his own duties as Head of the House of Black. He votes for your seats, manages your finances, and manages your properties.” 

Sirius smiled and nodded at his godson.

“Okay,” said Harry. “I’m sure glad I don’t have to do that yet. It all sounds horribly boring. Is there anything else I need to know?”

Remus sighed and glanced at Sirius. “Traditionally, one of your other responsibilities would be to marry and ensure you have a male heir to carry on the Potter name and legacy. Your father made sure it was absolutely clear to us that that did not matter to him; your happiness was far more important to him, as it is to us.

“It is common in old family circles to arrange marriage contracts.” Harry wrinkled his nose. “However, Sirius will do no such thing for you. Despite what others may say to you at Hogwarts, you are free to date and eventually marry whoever you wish, that is if you want to date or marry at all. All that matters to us, and to your father, is your happiness.

“Now, James wanted us to give you something when you came of age: the Heir Ring to the House of Potter. Traditionally, this is given to the oldest male son when he turns seventeen to signify his importance in the Wizarding World, as he will eventually become Head of the Family. Sirius and I thought it was somewhat improper to wait until your seventeenth birthday to give it to you, as you will become Head of the House of Potter on your seventeenth birthday. You would never have had a chance to wear the Heir Ring, and we do not believe that is what your father intended.”

Remus picked up a silver ring with three small rubies embedded in it. In the right light, the Potter family crest shone under the center ruby, the largest of the three. “Harry, will you vow to uphold the honour of the Potter name?”

“Of course!”

Sirius bit his lips and elbowed Harry. “The proper words are, ‘I will.’” Harry flushed. “It’s quite all right. Remus can start over.”

Remus gently smiled. “Harry, will you vow to uphold the honour of the Potter name?”

“I will.”

“Will you vow to learn your family’s history and business before you accept the Headship position?”

“I will.”

“Will you vow to uphold the Potter name and values in all of your actions henceforth?”

“I will.”

Remus took Harry’s right hand and slid the ring onto Harry’s ring finger. “From now on, you may be addressed as Heir Potter.”  
Harry admired the ring on his finger and smiled at his uncles, a single tear shining in his right eye. “Do you... do you think he’d be proud of me?”

“Undoubtedly,” said Remus, “and so would your mum.”

“They would be just as proud of you as we are, Harry.” Sirius clapped his hands together on the table. “Now, that was your gift, but I also have a somewhat selfish request of you.”

Remus looked at Sirius and raised a single eyebrow. 

“As you know, Harry, you’re like a son to me. I have no children of my own, and that’s perfectly okay with me because I have you. You’re everything I could have possibly wanted in my life. Now that you’re going off to Hogwarts, I’m not entirely sure what I’ll do with myself without you here. However, this also means that you’re old enough to make a decision about a question I’ve been wanting to ask for a while.”

Sirius took a deep breath.

“Harry, would you do me the honour of becoming my son officially?”

* * *

Harry was silent for a few minutes, and Sirius began to worry. 

Had he just screwed up the best thing that had happened in his miserable life? 

He looked at Remus, but Remus just kept staring at him with one eyebrow raised as he sipped his tea. 

Okay, so maybe asking the boy right before he went off to Hogwarts wasn’t the best decision, but when else was he supposed to ask? Besides, he’d already said the words, and it wasn’t like he could just put them back in his mouth. He just needed Harry to go ahead and say something already. He thought he’d stopped making rash decisions when he finally realized he wasn’t just looking out for himself any more, but maybe he hadn’t. Why wouldn’t Harry just break the silence and say something? Anything?

“Umm… Padfoot?”

“Yes?” Sirius asked nervously.

“What exactly would that entail?” Harry sighed. “I mean, I feel like your son already, but wouldn’t that be a disappointment to Dad? I am still his son, and Mum’s too, even if they’re both gone. Like Uncle Remus just said, I’m the last of the Potters. Isn’t that important?”

Sirius opened his mouth, and then he abruptly closed it when Remus laid a hand on his. “Padfoot, let me take this one.

“Harry, as you know, I grew closer to your mother than the other Marauders, except for your father. Her greatest wish if you were to grow up without them was for you to find a family, a home.” Sirius sniffled. “She didn’t want you to be stuck wondering about ‘what if’s or wishing for the life you would have had with them. Both of your parents wanted nothing but your happiness. I don’t think they could ever be disappointed if you were following your heart and setting out to make yourself the happiest you could be. I think the only way they could truly be disappointed in you is if you were trying to live your life for them, trying to do whatever you think they would want from you, rather than living for yourself. If you truly want to be Sirius’s official son, then become his official son. If you’d rather not, then don’t. He’ll still be your godfather, even if you decide not to become his son. It won’t change the way he feels about you, and it certainly won’t change the way I feel about you. You can also take your time; this isn’t a decision you need to make immediately.”

Harry nodded and looked at Sirius. “Okay. I’m not making any decisions yet, but what would that mean, becoming your official son? Would I still be a Potter? Would I have to do anything?”

“Oh, Harry, you’ll always be a Potter.” Remus nodded emphatically as Sirius spoke. “You would just be a Potter-Black instead: Harry James Orion Potter-Black. We would have to go to Gringotts to do everything, as my family was very strict about only allowing blood adoptions, not just paperwork with the Ministry, but we wouldn’t do anything earlier than the Yule holidays. You could have until then, or even longer, to think about it if you needed it. The goblins would perform a blood ritual for us, and you’d end up looking a bit more like me and have access to the Black Family magics. That’s essentially it. You would become Heir to the House of Black, like you are to the House of Potter, but you wouldn’t become Head until I died, and I don’t plan for that to happen any time soon.” Sirius chuckled. “Is there anything else you want to know?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, there’s a question that I’ve had for a while now. Why haven’t you ever found someone to share your life with? Why haven’t you even dated anyone since I’ve lived with you?”

Sirius looked down at his cup of tea, only to realize it was empty. He snapped his fingers, and Kreacher appeared with a _Pop!_

“What can Kreacher do for Master Sirius?”

“Kreacher, could you please clear the plates and bring some fresh tea, piping hot?”

Kreacher nodded, snapped his fingers to clear the plates, and said, “The tea will be right out, Master Sirius. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Sirius shook his head. “No, Kreacher, that will be all. Thank you.”

Kreacher bowed low and disappeared with another _Pop!_ The tea appeared a moment later, and Remus began serving it. Sirius wrapped his hands around his cuppa, raised it to his lips, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Yes, this would steady him for this conversation.

“Well, Harry, you see, in my youth, I was known for snogging half of Hogwarts.” Sirius sighed deeply. “It is not a reputation I am proud of, but I can recognize the error of my ways when I was a foolish youth. I undoubtedly hurt a lot of people when I was younger. I eventually came to realize that I was only seeking the relationships and romance that everyone else around me seemed to enjoy. I didn’t truly enjoy any of it, and I thought that made me broken.”

Sirius paused a moment to take a sip of tea and gauge his godson’s reaction. Harry appeared to be listening without any judgment, taking every word he said seriously. Though he hadn’t planned to tell Harry about any of this until he was older, Sirius supposed now was as good a time as any.

“It was your mother who helped me realize that I am not broken.” Sirius took a deep breath and stared into his cup. “I am very rarely attracted to people, and only after I’ve become quite close to them. In fact, there’s only one person who I have felt the sort of attraction for that other people seem to feel quite frequently.” Sirius heard Remus quietly gasp, but he pushed forward. “That’s okay; there’s nothing wrong with me.”

“Well, were you with anyone, with this person, before my parents died? Could you pick things back up where you left them?”

Sirius looked back up to his godson, studiously ignoring Remus’s questioning gaze. “No, Harry. You see, there was a war going on. Having feelings for other people can make you vulnerable during a war. I didn’t want to make either of us more vulnerable than we already were. After your parents died, well, I suppose I was just busy caring for you.” The corner of Sirius’s mouth quirked upwards. “I don’t mind, though; you were more than worth it.”

Harry smiled. “Well, now that I’m going to Hogwarts, you don’t have to worry about caring for me.” Harry banged his fist on the table. “Tell her how you feel! Go on a date with her! Fall in love! Do something for yourself for once!”

Sirius bit his lip and blushed. It was now or never, he supposed. “And would you feel the same if it were a ‘he’ instead of a ‘she’?”

Remus spilled a splash of tea on the table as he was refilling everyone’s cups, but Sirius didn’t pay attention to it as he awaited his godson’s response.

Harry looked Sirius in the eyes and said, “Go. Tell. Him. How. You. Feel. I just want you to be happy and not be lonely while I’m gone. You’ve done more than enough for me; now go do something for yourself!”

“Okay, squirt.” Sirius nodded and wordlessly cast a Cleaning Charm at the spilled tea. “I don’t know that he feels the same way, but I’ll think about telling him.”  
Harry grinned. “That’s good enough for me.”

Harry took another sip of his tea.

“Oh, and Padfoot?” Sirius looked at his godson expectantly. “I’d love to be your son.”

* * *

Harry held his breath as he was squished by the tight hug of his soon-to-be father. In all honesty, he could hardly remember his parents, even though Moony and Padfoot frequently told him stories of them. When he was with Sirius, he was at home, with the closest thing to family he had. He did want to be Sirius’s son, officially. He wanted to feel truly connected with the house he had grown up in.

With Sirius’s promise to try to open himself up to love and new opportunities, Harry thought he could open himself up to being Sirius’s son. Now he just had to make sure his uncle Moony would find love, too.

“Remus, can I ask you a question?”

Remus smiled at the grinning boy and said, “Go right ahead, squirt.”

“When is the last time you dated anyone?”

Sirius choked on his tea, spluttering and coughing as he caught his breath.

Remus patted Sirius on the back and bit his lips. “I should have seen that one coming.” He sighed. “I suppose it was back in my Hogwarts days, and it would be highly inappropriate for me to discuss that with you, seeing as he’ll be one of your professors this year.” Remus glanced at the clock on the wall. “Speaking of, we’d better hurry to King’s Cross, or you’ll miss the Hogwarts Express.”

Sirius looked to the clock and pulled another small box out of his pocket. “Harry, we have just one thing to do first.” Sirius pulled a small ring out of the box. This one was also silver, but it had five emeralds inlaid in it. The largest, again in the center, had the Black family crest under it. 

“Harry, will you vow to uphold the prestige and honour of the Black name?”

“I will.”

“Will you vow to learn the Black family’s history and business before the time comes when you must accept the Headship position?”

“I will.”

“Will you vow to uphold the Black name and values in all of your actions henceforth unless it should interfere with your upholding of the Potter name and values?”

“I will.”

Sirius slid the ring onto the middle finger of Harry’s right hand. “Now, everyone will know that you have agreed to become my heir. Any of your peers with ties to the Black family should recognize it and treat you with respect.” Harry admired the ring and nodded. “A word of advice, make sure my dear cousin Draco Malfoy sees it on you. That should solve any problems he could possibly cause for you.”

Harry nodded. “Thank you, Sirius. This means a lot to me.” Harry stood. “And Uncle Moony?”

“Yes, Harry?”

“I know you’ve spent a lot of time helping Sirius take care of me, and I expect you to find someone, too. It doesn’t have to be by the Yule holidays, or even by the end of my first year, but I expect both of you to find happiness with somebody. You deserve it.”

Then Harry turned and walked to the foyer. “Kreacher, could you please bring my trunk from my room?”

Kreacher appeared with the trunk after a _Pop!_ “Kreacher will miss the young Master Harry when he is off at Hogwarts. Is there anything else Kreacher can be doing for the young master?”

“No, thank you, Kreacher. That will be all. For what it’s worth, I’ll miss you, too.”

Kreacher bowed to Harry and disappeared with a _Pop!_

* * *

Harry stared out the window of the Hogwarts Express, fiddling with the two new rings on his right hand. Nobody had joined him in this compartment yet, but that was fine with him. He was preoccupied with watching his uncles. They were standing next to one another, and Sirius looked to be the only one talking. As he’d been watching, Remus’s rosy cheeks had continued to darken until they looked like pomegranates.

Now, it appeared that Remus was speaking, though his lips only moved slightly. Sirius’s lips were parting into a large grin, and Harry could even see all of his teeth.

_Click! Click! Click!_

The train was moving now, and both Sirius and Remus were waving goodbye. The train picked up speed, and now Harry could hardly see his uncles, but he thought he saw Sirius take Remus’s hand in his own just before they disappeared from sight.


End file.
